This invention relates to a data recording medium and a data recording apparatus, and more particularly to a data recording medium of the so-called prepaid type and a data recording apparatus for a data recording medium of the type mentioned.
Generally, so-called prepaid cards are used widely for payment of a charge for traffic facilities such as trains and buses, public telephones and so forth.
A prepaid card for use with such a charge payment system as just mentioned includes a magnetic tape or the like on which a purchase amount of money is recorded in advance, and when it is inserted into a card reader provided for a ticket control machine or a telephone set to use it, the card reader reads the remaining amount of money recorded on the prepaid card, subtracts a charge from the read remaining amount of money in accordance with the number of units of use to calculate an updated remaining amount of money and re-records the updated remaining amount of money onto the magnetic tape or the like.
However, since such a prepaid card as described above is simple in structure, it is limited in recording capacity, and it is substantially impossible to record, for example, a music program on the prepaid card.
Further, since such a prepaid card as described above can be forged readily, it has been a problem on the market, and it is difficult to adopt it for a selling system of information such as, for example, a music program which requires a comparatively high charge of use.
Also a prepaid card which makes use of an IC card is known. However, the prepaid card of the type just described is disadvantageous in that it itself is expensive.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a data recording medium and a data recording apparatus which are large in recording capacity and comparatively low in cost and secures protection of recorded information.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the object described above is achieved by a data recording medium having a data recording area, wherein quantitative limitation information of a number of pieces of information grasped based on an information identification code regarding information to be recorded is recorded in advance in the data recording area.
With the data recording medium, since quantitative limitation information of a number of pieces of information grasped based on an information identification code regarding information to be recorded is recorded in advance in the data recording area, when a data recording apparatus reads, upon recording of information, the quantitative limitation information recorded in the data recording area, if information requested coincides with the quantitative limitation information, then the requested information can be recorded into the data recording area of the data recording medium.
Consequently, for example, where quantitative limitation information is recorded in accordance with a charge paid in advance as a prepaid charge on the data recording medium, the number of pieces of information which can be recorded onto the data recording medium is recognized upon recording of information, and the data recording apparatus records the requested information into the data recording area of the data recording medium only when the number of pieces of information which can be recorded is equal to or greater than the requested number of pieces of information.
Preferably, the data recording area is a recordable data recording area, and a signal recorded on the data recording medium cannot be erased.
With the data recording medium, since the data recording area is a recordable data recording area and a signal recorded on the data recording medium cannot be erased, information recorded once cannot be erased. Consequently, alteration or erasure is impossible, and alternation to the quantitative limitation information can be prevented effectively. Accordingly, for example, where the data recording medium is used as a prepaid type data recording medium, there is no necessity to take a special countermeasure for protection of the prepaid information, and illegal use of the data recording medium can be prevented readily with certainty and at a low cost.
As an alternative, limitation information to a term of use regarding the information to be recorded may be recorded in advance in the data recording area.
With the data recording medium, since limitation information to a term of use regarding the information to be recorded is recorded in advance in the data recording area, the term of use regarding the information to be recording onto the data recording medium is set. Thus, for example, where the data recording medium is used as a prepaid type data recording medium, rapid information recording is promoted.
As another alternative, limitation information to a field regarding the information to be recorded may be recorded in advance in the data recording area.
With the data recording medium, since limitation information to a field regarding the information to be recorded is recorded in advance in the data recording area, for example, where the information to be recorded is music, an electronic novel or the like, the genre of the information is limited in advance. Consequently, utilization of the data recording medium as a present is promoted.
As a further alternative, limitation information to a seller regarding the information to be recorded may be recorded in advance in the data recording area.
With the data recording medium, since limitation information to a seller regarding the information to be recorded is recorded in advance in the data recording area, a seller, that is, a supplier of information recording, is limited in advance. Consequently, information recording is enabled only in a store or the like of a particular dealer.
As a still further alternative, limitation information to a proprietor regarding the information to be recorded may be recorded in advance in the data recording area.
With the data recording medium, since limitation information to a proprietor regarding the information to be recorded is recorded in advance in the data recording area, for example, a publishing company, a songwriter, a composer, an author of a work or the like is limited. Consequently, information recording regarding only a limited proprietor is performed.
As a yet further alternative, limitation information to time regarding the information to be recorded may be recorded in advance in the data recording area.
With the data recording medium, since limitation information to time regarding the information to be recorded is recorded in advance in the data recording area, for example, where the information to be recorded is music, the time for recording is limited. Consequently, an upper limit to the playing time of a tune to be recorded is set.
Preferably, when the information to be recorded is recorded, recording utilization information corresponding to the recorded information is recorded in the data recording area.
With the data recording medium, since, when the information to be recorded is recorded, recording utilization information corresponding to the recorded information is recorded in the data recording area, an information identification code, the quantity of pieces of information, the recording date and so forth of the recorded information are recorded as the recording utilization information into the data recording area.
Accordingly, when, upon recording of the information to be recorded, a data recording apparatus reads in the quantitative limitation information and the recording utilization information, it can recognize the remaining number of pieces of information by subtracting the number of recorded pieces of information based on the recording utilization information from the initial number of pieces of information based on the quantitative limitation information.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the object described above can be achieved by a data recording apparatus, comprising a data recording medium having a data recording area, and a data recording section for recording information on the data recording medium, the data recording area of the data recording medium having recorded in advance therein quantitative limitation information of a number of pieces of information grasped based on an information identification code regarding information to be recorded, the data recording section being operable upon recording of information to read the quantitative limitation information recorded in the data recording area of the data recording medium and record, when information requested coincides with the quantitative limitation information, the requested information into the data recording area of the data recording medium.
With the data recording apparatus, since quantitative limitation information of a number of pieces of information grasped based on an information identification code regarding information to be recorded is recorded in the data recording area of the data recording medium, when the data recording apparatus reads, upon recording of information, the quantitative limitation information recorded in the data recording area, if information requested coincides with the quantitative limitation information, then the requested information is recorded into the data recording area of the data recording medium.
Consequently, for example, where quantitative limitation information is recorded in accordance with a charge paid in advance as a prepaid charge on the data recording medium, the number of pieces of information which can be recorded onto the data recording medium is recognized upon recording of information, and the data recording apparatus records the requested information into the data recording area of the data recording medium only when the number of pieces of information which can be recorded is equal to or greater than the requested number of pieces of information.
Accordingly, for example, where the data recording medium is used as a prepaid type data recording medium, protection of the prepaid information can be achieved, and illegal use of the data recording medium can be prevented readily with certainty and at a low cost.
Preferably, the data recording section reads, upon recording of information, also recording utilization information when the data recording section reads the quantitative limitation information recorded in the data recording area of the data recording medium, and records, when the data recording section records requested information into the data recording area of the data recording medium, recording utilization information corresponding to the recorded information.
With the data recording apparatus, when the data recording section reads, upon recording of information, the quantitative limitation information recorded in the data recording area of the data recording medium, it also reads recording utilization information, and when the data recording section records requested information into the data recording area of the data recording medium, it records recording utilization information corresponding to the recorded information. Consequently, upon the next information recording, the data recording apparatus first reads in the quantitative limitation information and the recording utilization information from the data recording medium, and recognizes the remaining number of pieces of information, which can be recorded onto the data recording medium, from the quantitative limitation information and the recording utilization information, and then records the remaining number of pieces of recordable information as well as the requested information into the data recording area of the data recording medium.
Accordingly, processing based on the quantitative limitation information is performed with certainty by the data recording apparatus.
Thus, according to the present invention, a data recording medium and a data recording apparatus can be provided which are great in recording capacity and comparatively low in cost and secure protection of recorded information.